The Fijian Elections Office (FEO) has confirmed that the proposed political party People First formally submitted its application for registration to the Registrar of Political Parties, Ana Mataiciwa, today.
Registrar of Political Parties, Ana Mataiciwa, said the next step in the process is to make the application public through official notices.
“The FEO is now preparing to publish the party’s application in a newspaper and in the Gazette, as required under the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Act 2013,” Ms Mataiciwa explained.
“Once the publication is made, the objections period will officially open.”
She outlined that the law provides an opportunity for the public to scrutinise the registration.
“During the objections period, any person may submit a written objection to the FEO regarding the party’s application for registration. The FEO will assess and respond to all objections within seven days of receipt, after giving the proposed party an opportunity to respond,” she said.
“Afterwards, we will inform both the objectors and the applicant party of our decision.”
The Registrar added that once all objections are addressed, the proposed party will be advised whether its application has been approved or rejected, following a full compliance assessment under the Act.
The FEO stressed that maintaining transparency and involving the public are essential parts of the political party registration framework.
In a statement, the office noted that the process ensures all proposed political parties meet legal requirements and that members of the public are given a meaningful opportunity to participate.
The decision on People First’s registration will be made after all statutory checks are completed.
